Is Phone Etiquette Dead?

Posted: 27/10/2015 by
Cox Purtell

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string(2991) "As you can imagine, being a recruiter I spend a whole lot of time on the phone. I have been in customer service for quite a while now and I think it comes naturally to be polite and respectful on the phone.
However it shocks me day in and day out how rude some people can be during phone conversations. A lot of the time it’s coming from people who are calling our office looking for work, which shocks me even more.
We don’t have direct phone lines in our offices, so if the phone rings and our fabulous receptionist Shari is on the other line, it is our job to pick up the phone and accommodate the person on the other end.
Now I don’t know about you but I think its slightly ironic if someone calls a recruitment agency, acts rudely over the phone and then says they are looking for a Reception role. No need for an interview candidate X, you have given me all I need in that first 10 seconds!
First impressions are everything, whether face-to-face or over the phone. Both are so important and these days I think people have lost all sight of good old fashioned manners.
We get some people calling in and are so rude to Shari (our receptionist) but nice as pie to our consultants. Why is that? Are there certain people out there that think it’s irrelevant to be nice to the receptionist, the gate keeper who controls so much in our office? We rely a lot on Shari’s opinion and what her first impressions are.
I remember one of my Directors, Trish telling me that when she recruited for very senior roles after hours, she would sit at reception and would be able to tell straight away if the person was right for the role by the way they treated her when they first entered the reception area.
Working in recruitment is not easy and I’m sure my fellow consultants will agree, it can be quite draining taking so many calls, day in and day out from job seekers, clients, suppliers. But no matter what we all must stay professional, polite and as helpful as we possibly can. That’s the game we are in and most of us love it. But In return we should receive the same respect from the other end of the phone.
So please, the next time you are calling an agency, or anyone for that matter. Don’t be a wet fish on the phone. Smile! Be excited and enthusiastic about the call you are making!
If it’s important enough to you to make or take a call, then you should make it count!
Do you think phone etiquette is dead? I’d love to hear your thoughts, tweet me or reply in the comments section below."
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http://www.coxpurtell.com.au/blog/lets-get-physiological/"
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As you can imagine, being a recruiter I spend a whole lot of time on the phone. I have been in customer service for quite a while now and I think it comes naturally to be polite and respectful on the phone.

However it shocks me day in and day out how rude some people can be during phone conversations. A lot of the time it’s coming from people who are calling our office looking for work, which shocks me even more.

We don’t have direct phone lines in our offices, so if the phone rings and our fabulous receptionist Shari is on the other line, it is our job to pick up the phone and accommodate the person on the other end.

Now I don’t know about you but I think its slightly ironic if someone calls a recruitment agency, acts rudely over the phone and then says they are looking for a Reception role. No need for an interview candidate X, you have given me all I need in that first 10 seconds!

First impressions are everything, whether face-to-face or over the phone. Both are so important and these days I think people have lost all sight of good old fashioned manners.

We get some people calling in and are so rude to Shari (our receptionist) but nice as pie to our consultants. Why is that? Are there certain people out there that think it’s irrelevant to be nice to the receptionist, the gate keeper who controls so much in our office? We rely a lot on Shari’s opinion and what her first impressions are.

I remember one of my Directors, Trish telling me that when she recruited for very senior roles after hours, she would sit at reception and would be able to tell straight away if the person was right for the role by the way they treated her when they first entered the reception area.

Working in recruitment is not easy and I’m sure my fellow consultants will agree, it can be quite draining taking so many calls, day in and day out from job seekers, clients, suppliers. But no matter what we all must stay professional, polite and as helpful as we possibly can. That’s the game we are in and most of us love it. But In return we should receive the same respect from the other end of the phone.

So please, the next time you are calling an agency, or anyone for that matter. Don’t be a wet fish on the phone. Smile! Be excited and enthusiastic about the call you are making!

If it’s important enough to you to make or take a call, then you should make it count!

Do you think phone etiquette is dead? I’d love to hear your thoughts, tweet me or reply in the comments section below.